Holiday: Dia de los Muertos

The holiday is supposed to be about honoring the dead, but the art style of Dia de los Muertos is what gets my attention. The intricately painted skulls, the flowers, the makeup, the costumes – all incredibly beautiful in and of themselves. So when I found out there was going to be a festival at the local arts community, I had to go.

A lot of it seemed oddly non-traditional. I read there’d be fire dancers and thought that sounded awesome, I was sadly disappointed. I’m not really up on my Mexican culture but I’m pretty sure slow jazz and stilt-walking jugglers aren’t a big part of Day of the Dead.

But never mind all that. There were plenty of performers, decorations, and costumed visitors to make it interesting. There were dolls and shrines set up around every corner, booths with food and face-painting, and mural panels set up for anyone to paint a tribute to a lost loved one.

The arts mall was beautiful, and it only got better as it got darker and the candles became the main light source.

All in all it was a fun evening, even with the hokey stuff. I still haven’t been to a true Dia de los Muertos celebration, but this was good inspiration to go find one.